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rot^ulari^rooniiiiir. animals slionld bo brought gradually into woi-k 

 wlienovcr it is nraclicablo to do so, and it must be tlic object of 

 the Veterinary Officer to keep i>vi>ry animal at work as long as 

 possible by expedients such as experience suggests ; work is 

 good for the general health of galled animals whenever it can bo 

 enforced without severe pain, as, for example, when the injured 

 parts can be relieved from ])ressure. In war inefficiency of bag- 

 gage animals cannot be tolerated and what would bo inhumanity 

 from working galled camels in peace becomes necessity on service. 

 The Veterinary Officer must not shirk responsibility in this matter, 

 however much he may pity his patients he must never forget the 

 necessities of service. The most important means of prevention 

 lies in original selection of sound and well-formed animals, in train- 

 ing of the transport before operations, in vigilance of executive 

 officers to prevent slight galls and to spare galled individuals or 

 injured parts in the course of work. Nevertheless cases will 

 occur and get worse so as to present conditions of great severity, 

 and will prove tardy in healing, sometimes quite incurable. We 

 have to contend with fractured summits of spinous and transverse 

 processes, loose portions of bono, and carious surfaces, sloughing 

 cartilage and fibrous tissue, extensive infiltrations of pus, and 

 sinuses, abscesses, sitfasts of enormous size, and masses of bruised 

 skin. Often very rough and ready methods have to be resoi'ted to, 

 the Arabs explode powder on the ulcer surfaces or they apply tar 

 dressing mixed with grease without salt, or apply the desert plant 

 " Dugust." Lard and Baines find leather burnt to a black crisp 

 mass and then finely powdered and strewn over the wound useful, 

 frequently the actual cautery is used freely, a method which 

 practical scientific surgery will often not disdain. Gilchrist recom- 

 mended poulticing with Kataymaht or Pahuee Cumar ka puttha, 

 two handfulls with half an ounce of common salt pounded 

 together and heated for ten minutes, applied every morning, as 

 good for severe sore backs, and when the animal has to be 

 worked he suggests putting a piece of waxed cloth over the 

 ulcer and beneath the saddle, but insists that whenever practi- 

 cable, the animal should be kept at rcst."^ Applications of blue 



*In the Soudan McDougull's shcop dip 1 lb. in watur, 1 quart, allowed 



15 



